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· Not All Pastors Are Rich, Lack Integrity, Says Dr. Ogbundolapo
By Prince Benson DaviesFollowing the successful completion of his Doctorate Degree (PhD) at the Ajayi Crowther University in Oyo State, family members, friends, colleagues, and well-wishers have commended Pastor Bukky Oladipo Bright for his feat and commitment to the service of God and humanity.
To celebr
ate the achievement, a Thanksgiving service was held for Pastor Bright, who is the Regional Overseer MFM SW83 Faithlayo Mowe, Ogun state, where his family members, friends and members of the church spoke to The New Experience Newspaper after the event.
Giving a detailed account of his educational and ministerial background, he said: “Before I left school, one of my friends invited me to a Campus Christian Union Fellowship. I had the intention of going there to get fine girls and I thought they will not like to see me because I didn’t use to go to Church then, as I usually went along with my boys.
“But to my surprise, as I entered, I was ushered to where other ministers were sitting with honour. They now circled me and prayed assiduously for me that day. Although I did not attend their fellowship, again but I discovered that a new spirit entered into my life. When I got to NYSC Camp, I received an award of the most sociable corps member, then I joined NCCF corps members’ fellowship and after my service year, I was thirsty for the Word of God.
“I do watch different Christian programmes, then I moved out and joined some churches, I was not spiritually satisfied until I joined the Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries in 1999.”
He further explained that he started with foundational class and later became a teacher, then assistant house leader in Stephen Toba House Fellowship in Mafoluku, Hose Fellowship leader in Oluyeye, then Area leader, Foundational Class Coordinator in MFM Ewenla Oshodi and Accountant and Administrator in MFM Charity Branch Oshodi from 2004 to 2006
He also served as Assistant Zonal Deliverance Pastor in 2005 at MFM Abolaji Zonal Headquarters in 2005, Branch Pastor MFM Olowoporoku from 2006 to 2007, Branch Pastor MFM Oluyeye from 2007 to 2011, Branch Pastor MFM Palmgrove 2011, Zonal Pastor MFM Old Ewu (2011-2012), Zonal Pastor MFM Akinremi Agege 2012 and Zonal Pastor MFM Ogunoloko 2012.
Others are Zonal Pastor MFM Ijedodo 2012, Zonal Pastor Sanctuary of Excellence Ilamose (2012-2013), Assembly Pastor MFM Ayilegun Ejigbo 2013, Zonal Pastor MFM Double Powerline (2013-2015) and Regional Overseer MFM SW83 Region Faithlayo Mowe from 2015 till date.
“To God be the glory for the salvation of my soul and the deliverance I received from God. When I finished my youth service in 1999 one of my in-law wanted to initiate me into a confraternity because he saw me as very bold and active, but what I discovered was young people that joined quickly become very rich, but died untimely.
“It was later when I joined MFM that he accused me of entering his power base room to defile the place, which I later understood as I grew and mature in the spiritual realm.
“I was born on November 22, 1967 at Balogun Gambari’s Compound in Ilorin Kwara State. My Father was a member of Baptist Church, but we children grew up among Muslims. I stayed with one Muslim cleric that made me to dislike Islamic religion when I was young because of his wickedness,” he narrated.
Pastor Bright was educated at Baptist LSB School Surulere, Ilorin between 1973 and 1980, Ilorin Grammar School from 1980 to 1985, Government Secondary School Share Kwara State 1988, Osun State Polytechnic Iree where he studied Accountancy from 1992 to 1997.
Upon graduation he did his National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) with Valley Food Nigeria Limited Mopa, Kogi State as Account Supervisor.
He received training on basic presentation in 2006 at the Federal Radio Nigeria Training School GRA Ikeja, computer training at the Centre for Management Development Magodo Lagos 2006, Baptist College of Theology, Isolo Campus from 2010 to 2014, obtained a B.A honours in Religious Studies from Ajayi Crowther University (2016-2020) and M.A Religious Studies from the Olabisi Onabanjo University (OOU) between 2016 and 2018 and a PhD in Religious Ethics from Ajayi Crowther University Oyo from 2020 to 2023.
“My father Pa Amos Oyekunle Oladipo and my mother Mrs. Oladipo gave us good background of knowing God. Prayer and attending Church was compulsory then but we still have exposure to other religions.
“I was radical when I was in Secondary School then with the nicknames Jupiter and Federal Bukky.
It took me a long time before I settled for admission into the Polytechnic Iree. I got several admissions but was not offered Accountancy, which I wanted to study.
“I was offered admission to Yaba College of Technology to study Business Administration, Lagos State University (Economics), University of Jos (Statistics), Ogun State Polytechnic (Town and Regional Planning, but finally I was offered my choice at Osun State Polytechnic, Iree.
“Iree was an off-campus institution that gave way to some unscrupulous students having their way to bring cultism to the campus, oppressing, maiming and injuring several innocent students. One day my hall mate was oppressed and I tried to rescue him, but I was threatened with knifes and axe, I have to retreat and the second day, I started campaign of Paramilitary Man ‘O’ War as an anti-cult outfit to which many responded by joining and then rigorous training commenced,” he concluded.
Family and friends of Pastor Bright, as well as members of the church were all full of praises, while speaking about him.
Sister Nnaji, who disclosed that she has been at the church for long and is the current regional choir coordinator, recalled her first encounter with Pastor Bright, describing him as supportive and non controversial father figure.
“When he came, actually I was a member of the choir. So there was this particular Sunday I was asked to take worship and when he heard me singing from his office, he was like, who is that person ministering like that, is this person in the choir?
“So that’s how they sent for me and he was he can see the glory of God in my ministering and in my life, that he wants me to take over the choir and since then, God has been Faithful.
“When we started we were just six or seven of us in the choir, but by God’s glory, when I took over, with his prayers and support, you can see the number of choristers we have today, all to the glory of God.
Continuing, Sister Nnaji pointed out that Pastor Bright has done a lot to take the improve the Church what it was when he came, noting that it was during Pastor Bright’s tenure that Guitar Choir started in the church.
“Before he came there was no water, he actually was the one that donated borehole during one of his birthdays.
Gave us turbo speaker, in fact, recently he bought electric guitar for the guitar choir’, Sister Nnaji revealed.
The choir coordinator also touched on Pastor Bright’s maintenance culture stating that he has maintained other equipment and structure he met in the church.
On his part, Pastor Bright’s elder brother, Olaniyi Oladipo, reminisced on their childhood, recounting a time when Pastor Bright picked up a Bible as what he loved during a family photo session and when he became involved in church activities, opining that it has always been in the works that his brother would serve God in such a capacity.
The older Oladipo noted that the family has an affinity for the bible and the word of God, as their father is a lover of the Bible, and they would always read their father’s bible which they love.
The almost 70 years old Oladipo, who is a retired banker, had nothing but well wishes for his baby brother whom he has been responsible for.
“I bless the name of the lord for what he has achieved and for where God is taking him.
I just pray he goes higher and higher”, Oladipo prayed for his brother.
Oladipo, left the younger generation with a word of advice, stressing on the importance of caution and integrity on the part of men of God, particularly when it comes to money.
Also speaking, Dr. TemiTayo Oluwole Ogbundolapo, a leader pastor of Global Light Heritage In’tl Church and a close friend of pastor Bright, shed some light on Pastor Bright’s intellect, revealing that they both graduated as best students in their class.
Doctor Ogbundolapo, described Pastor Bright as a great encourager and an excellent friend, whom he noted has always been there for him and his family through thick and thin in a friendship spanning 13 ways.
“One of the most shocking things is that, when I was doing my PHD, Pastor Bright and the family paid at least one million naira out of that PHD fee.
“PHD is very expensive especially in a private University. While I was trying to gather things together, he and his wife came through, I was so surprised when I saw the alert and they said it’s for the school fees. So, I thank god for their timely intervention, that God used them for me and my family.
All the time that my wife was very, very sick, he was there for us, until my wife recovered from cancer.
Continuing, Dr. Ogbundolapo, described his long time friend as very prayerful, recalling how his prayers helped with his wife’s recovery.
“Very prayerful, so he prayed and we prayed together and God cured my wife of cancer.
“We are together for life, I don’t think anything will separate us, nothing. I don’t think so”, Dr. Ogbundolapo proclaimed.
While, acknowledging that he and Pastor Bright have differences in terms of character and approach to things, the 43 years old held that their difference has no effect on their friendship neither does the age gap, as Pastor Bright is 56.
“We are not perfect human beings. From his background like you have heard today, he had this very militant background and sometimes I feel I need to bear with him, to cope with that militancy
“I am not this very aggressive person and he is very aggressive. He can achieve whatever he wants to achieve and he will go for it, he doesn’t care whether there is an obstacle or there is no obstacle. He will go for it and he will eventually achieve it.
“He does things forcefully and I do things very calmly but we cope together”, pastor Ogbundolapo asserted.
Pastor Ogbundolapo, also touched on some challenges he faced in the ministry, including financial constraints and rejection, upon deciding to leave the Baptist denomination, where he was born into and started as a pastor, before leaving to start his own church, following directions from God.
He further spoke on what he described as growing trend of people criticizing men of God, lamenting that it is a misinterpreting, stressing that contrary to public opinion, not all pastors are rich and lack integrity.
“More men of God are not rich, more men of God are suffering, more men of God are in pains, but we generalize based on the two percent loudest men of God and we think all pastors are like that.
“I want to correct that notion not to generalize that all pastors are rich, and that all pastors spend church money, and that all pastors are living extravagant lives.
” It’s just the two percent that are more powerful and that are loudest that we judge other minsters of God.
“We attack the faith and it’s not good for the upcoming Christians who are just entering into the faith. They will be discouraged and it’s going to be a problem and a challenge for the future generation”, he stressed.